South Africa clinched a hard-fought victory against a determined USA team by 18 runs in a thrilling encounter to kick off the Super 8 stage of Group 2 at the T20 World Cup in Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Wednesday.
Despite their win, Aiden Markram's squad faced significant challenges from the resilient American side. Opting to bat first, South Africa set a formidable total of 194 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs. Quinton de Kock led the charge with a brilliant 74 off just 40 deliveries, marking his highest score in the tournament so far.
Reeza Hendricks struggled again, managing only 11 runs from 11 balls. Captain Aiden Markram played a crucial innings, contributing 46 off 32 balls to keep the momentum in South Africa's favor. The middle order stuttered briefly when David Miller departed without scoring, but Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs provided quick runs to push the total to 194 for 4.
In the bowling department, Saurabh Netravalkar stood out for the USA, picking up two key wickets for 21 runs in his four overs. Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh also impressed, taking 2 important wickets to restrict South Africa.
Chasing a challenging target of 195, USA lost early wickets and were struggling at 56 for 3, including the dismissal of Aaron Jones for a duck. Wicketkeeper-batsman Andries Gous played a heroic unbeaten knock of 80 off 47 balls to keep the American hopes alive.
Harmeet Singh played a crucial role, supporting Gous with a valuable 38 runs. Their partnership raised hopes of a remarkable comeback, but Harmeet's dismissal in the penultimate over dashed USA's chances.
Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball for South Africa, delivering a decisive spell of 3 for 18 in his four overs. His crucial over in the closing stages, conceding just two runs and dismissing Harmeet Singh, sealed the victory for South Africa and ended USA's resistance.
Ultimately, South Africa's strong bowling attack proved too formidable for USA, although the spirited performance from the American side earned them respect. Starting their Super 8 campaign with a win, South Africa demonstrated their resilience in a highly competitive T20 World Cup environment.
Brief Scores:
South Africa 194/4 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 74, Aiden Markram 46; Saurabh Netravalkar 2-21, Harmeet Singh 2-24) beat USA 176/6 in 20 overs (Andries Gous 80 not out, Harmeet Singh 38; Kagiso Rabada 3-18, Keshav Maharaj 1-37) by 18 runs.
Read also | Neeraj Chopra Triumphs with Gold at Paavo Nurmi Games 2024
